--- title: "LEVEL Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation" url: https://flightcompensations.com/airlines/level author: "Jaacov Sonenblick" published: 2026-09-09 updated: 2026-09-10 publisher: FlightCompensations summary: "LEVEL is a Spanish-licensed long-haul carrier in the IAG group, so EU261 covers its flights in both directions — including arrivals from the Americas." --- # LEVEL flight delay and cancellation compensation LEVEL is a Spanish-licensed long-haul carrier in the IAG group, so EU261 covers its flights in both directions — including arrivals from the Americas. ## LEVEL flight delay and cancellation: your rights LEVEL is the long-haul low-cost brand in the IAG group, flying from Barcelona under a **Spanish operating licence**. That licence matters more here than on most airlines, because LEVEL's network is long-haul and the licence is what extends EU261 to the flights coming back. - **Departing any EU or EEA airport** — covered, whoever operates. - **Arriving into the EU or EEA from outside it** — covered, because LEVEL holds an EU licence. A delayed flight from Buenos Aires or New York into Barcelona is claimable. - **Departing or arriving in the UK** — UK261 applies instead, in sterling. A non-EU carrier flying the same route inbound would not be covered. LEVEL is, and on long-haul that difference is usually worth €600 a passenger. ## Long-haul means the top band The amount is set by distance, so LEVEL's network sits at the expensive end of the scale: - **€600** for routes over 3,500 km, which is most of what LEVEL flies - **€400** between 1,500 and 3,500 km - **€250** up to 1,500 km One reduction applies, and only on long-haul: where the airline gets you there between three and four hours late on a route over 3,500 km, Article 7(2) lets it halve the payment to €300. Past four hours the full €600 stands. Everyone on the booking is owed separately, which on a family long-haul booking makes this one of the larger claims in air travel. ## Does a low fare reduce LEVEL compensation? LEVEL sells stripped-back long-haul fares, and none of that changes the statutory sum. The regulation fixes the amount by distance and says nothing about what you paid, so a basic fare and a premium one on the same delayed flight are worth the same. Nor do the optional extras matter to the claim. A refund of unused baggage or seat fees is a separate question from the compensation, and taking one does not waive the other. The [delay compensation guide](/flight-delay-compensation) sets out the full picture. ## How to claim LEVEL flight delay compensation Start with the flight itself. Our [free flight check](/claim) reads the recorded departure and arrival times for your LEVEL flight and tells you which band it falls in, in about two minutes. A LEVEL compensation claim turns on the arrival time and on the reason the airline gives, so read both before you write. The [flight delay compensation guide](/flight-delay-compensation) sets out the bands, and the [cancellation compensation guide](/flight-cancellation-compensation) covers LEVEL cancellation compensation for a flight that never operated. If the airline refuses, the [case law summary](/passenger-rights/case-law) sets out what the courts have accepted as an excuse and what they have thrown out. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is a LEVEL flight into Barcelona from the Americas covered? Yes. LEVEL holds a Spanish operating licence, and EU261 covers arrivals into the EU or EEA from outside it whenever the operating carrier is EU-licensed. On most of those routes the distance puts the claim in the €600 band. ### Can LEVEL halve my €600? Only on a route over 3,500 km where it delivered you between three and four hours late — Article 7(2) allows a fifty per cent reduction in that narrow window. Arrive more than four hours late and the full €600 per passenger stands. ### Does a basic LEVEL fare reduce the compensation? No. The amount comes from the distance flown, and the regulation says nothing about the ticket price or the fare family. A stripped-back seat and a full-service one on the same delayed flight attract exactly the same figure. ## Sources - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32004R0261 - https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/ - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-402/07 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-549/07 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-195/17 - https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-452/13 Read the full page with the claim check at https://flightcompensations.com/airlines/level